Signal lantern



May 22, 1923.

F. J. RODE ET AL S IGNAL LIAN'I'ERN 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 vFiled April 2l, 1921 ff 55'.' 2" w ,e 2

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F, J. RODE ET AL SIGNAL LANTERN Filed April 21, 1921 2 sheets-sheet 2 lill www.' A

atented` ay 22, 1923.

FREDERICK J'. RODE, RALPH I. FROST, AND JOHN L. LISTON, OF AUGUSTA, SAS; SAID RODE AND SAID FROST ASSIGNORS TO SAID LISTON.

SIGNAL LANTERN.

application led April 21, 1921. Serial No. 463,191.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, FnEDERrGK J. RODE,

RALPH FROST, and JOHN L. LrsroN, citizens of the United States, residing at Augusta, in the county of Butler and State of ansas, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Signal Lanterns, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to improvements in signal lanterns.

The object of our invention is to provide a signal lantern with which any one of a plurality of diii'erent colored lights may be projected.

A further object of our invention is to provide a novel lantern of the kind described, which vis simple in construction, cheap to make, not liable to get out of order, durable, and with which the signals can be quickly changed.

Our invention provides still further a construction in which new lamps may be quickly substituted for those which have been burned out.

Our invention provides still further a lantern carrying two batteries and a plurality of electric lamps combined with means by which the lamps may be placed in circuit with either of the batteries.

The novel features of-our. invention are hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate the preferred embodiment. of our invention,

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view, partly broken away on the line 1-1 of Fig. 2, showingour improved signal lantern.l

Fig. 2 is a sectional view on the line 2--2 of Fig. 1, some of the parts being shown in plan.

Fig. 3 isran enlarged vertical sectional view on the line l3 3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view on thev line 4 4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view of the electric circuit in which the lamps are located.

Similar reference characters designate similar parts in the dierent' views.

1 designates an inverted cup-shaped casing lrovided in its top with an opening 2, and avingremovably fitted in its lower end a cap or base member 3, which supports two batteries 4 and 5, mounted on spring'plates 6, which 'bearagainst the lower ends of the batteries, said lower ends constitutingyone set of terminals, the upper terminals, 7, of which bear respectively against two contact plates 8, mounted respectively on two blocks 9 of insulation, which are respectively secured to two vertical partitions '10 and 11, extending across the casing 1 and spaced part from each other above the base mem- Extending horizontally through the casing lis a central manually rotatable shaft 12, having secured to one outer end a. thumb button 13, Fig. 2.

,The shaft 12 .extends through the partitions 10 and 11, and has rigidly secured to it a rotary device of conducting material provided with peripheral lamp receivin sockets and consisting, preferably, of a circular plate of metal 14, to one side of which is secured an annular plate 15, which is provided with radial semi-circular'grooves 16, respectively registering with similar radial grooves 17, on the adjacent side of the plate 14.

A cylindrical member 18 of insulatin material isA mounted -on the shaft 12, and 1s encircled by the plate 15, and is attached by screws 19 to the plate 14.

The periphery of the member 18 is provided with a plurality of longitudinal equally spaced curved grooves 20, each of which is adapted fto have rest in it the free end of a spring plate 21 of conductin material, which has its other end rigidy secured to a block of insulatin material 22, which is secured to the partition 11. The plate 21 serves to hold the member 18 and with it the lamp supporting device from accidental turning from the position to which it maybe adjusted.

A plurality of sprin contact members 23, are mounted respective y in alternate ones of the recesses 2O and are secured by screws 24, Fig. 2, to the insulating member 18.

A plurality of electric lamps 25, which may be provided respectivelywith different colored glass bulbs, each of which is mounted in a sleeve 26 of conductive material and which forms one of the terminals of the lamp, the other terminal of which, designated by 27, is disposed centrally at the inner end of the lamp. The sleeves 26 are respectively removably fitted in the sockets formed by the radial grooves 16 and 17 in the plates 14 and 15 respectively, and when mounted in their operative positions, the terminals 27 respec-V tively bear upon the contact members 23.

'llhe arrangement is such that as the thumb button 13 is turned so as to rotate the plates 1t and 15 and member 18, the lamps 25 Will be consecutively extended through the opening 2, all the lamps but the one so extended being cut out of circuit With the battery 4 or 5 as the case may be. rl`he lamp 25 which is extended through the opening 2 in the position occupied by the uppermost lamp in llig. 1, will be in circuit With the battery which is at the time connected with the spring circuit closer 21, and the light projected Will depend upon the color ot the glass bulb of the lamp. The member 21, While serving to close the circuit through the adjacent lamp by means of its contact With the adjacent con tact member 23, also serves to hold the mem ber 18 and plates 111 and 15 from axial turning. lf the button 13 is rotated a complete rotation, the lamps Will be consecutively lighted, so that different signals may be displayed. lf the Amember 18 is stopped in its rotation at points Where the spring member 21 enters the recesses 20 which are intermediate of those containing the contacts 23, all the lamps Will be cut out of circuit with the battery, and the member 18 Will be held trom accidental turning.

For connecting the spring contact member 21 in circuit with either battery lf or 5, We provide a switch comprising t e following described parts.

Extending through side Wall ol the casing 1 is a member 28, ot insulating `material and having secured to its outer end a cranlr 29. To the inner end of the member 28 is secured a metal plate 30, `which is connected by a conducting vvire 31 with the circuit closing member 21. rllhe plate is adapted to electrically engage either one ot tvvo contacts 32 and 33, which are mounted on insulating member 3l, `which is secured to the inner side of the casing 1. The contacts 32 and 33 are respectively connected by conductors 35 and 36 with pins 3'? and 38 respectively mounted in the blocks il and respectively connected electrically with the plates. 8.

' 'llvhe casing 1, base member 3 and partition 10 are ot conductivematerial and Aserve as a ground for the electric circuit. rlihe bottom of each battery t and 5 forms one terminal ol the battery which is connected to the base 3 or ground by the springs 6, l'lfhe sleeves 23 are connected to ground by the plate 1l, through the intervention ot a spring plate 39' secured to the plate 1d and bearing against thepartition 10.

j Referring to llig. 5, l0 designates conductors representing the plates 1land 39, which. connect the sleeves 26 to ground;

With the switch late 30 in contact vvitlr the contact 32, as ovvn in Fig. 5, the current from the batte 5 will pass from the terminal 7 through t e adjacent plate 8, pin

and rotatable in the l incense 37, conductor 35, contact 32, plate 30. conductor 31, and circuit closing member 21, to

the contact member 23, then engaged by the f member 21, thence through the adjacent terminals 27 and 26, and thence to ground. through the conductor Ll0, and from ground back to the battery 5, through the adjacent spring plate 6. The uppermost lamp, Which is then in circuit with the circuit-closing member 21 will be lighted, thus giving lthe signal desired. By turning the thumb button 13, as before described, the dillerent'contacts 23 may be brought into engagement With the member 21, so as to have the lantern show the different signals.

When the battery 5 becomes exhausted, or Weak, the crank arm A29 is turned to a position in which the plate 30 will engage the .contact 33, upon Which the current Wlll pass from the battery l through the adjacent terminal 7 and adjacent plate 8, pin 38, conductor 36, and contact 33, to the plate 30, and thence to ground in the manner already described, and from thence back to battery l, through the adjacent spring plate 6.

When `it is desired to'replace a battery, the base 3 is removed from the casing 1.

Forholding each lamp 25 in its socket, it is provided with the usual securing means consisting of two diametrically opposite pins t1, arranged to respectively enter the slots l2, Fig. 1, extending radially from the peripheries ot the plates 14: and 16, each slot having at its inner end a right angled turn. ln inserting a lamp, the pins d1 are slipped into the oppositely disposed slots t2 to a po sition in which the terminal 27 will compress the adjacent spring contact member 23, upon which the lamp is turned in its socket, so that the pins t1 enter the odsets at the inner ends ol the slots 4t2.

The top of the casing 1 is provided with an annular groove 43, which encircles the opening'2, and in which is tted the lovver end of al glass chimney Mauponthe upper end ot which is provided a cap 425, Fig. 1, which is vertically slidable on a vertical pin 4:13, the `upper end of which is centrally attached to a topplate 17, the periphery of which isy adapted to be tted 'into tvvo recesses d8 provided on the inner sides respectively loil the two vertical arms of an inverted lli-'shaped handle t9, the lower ends ot the arms being respectively attached to opposite sides ot the casing 1.

Clamped between the pin le and top l?, is a spring plate which bears 'against the cap d5, and holds the latter upon the chimney The lower end ol the pin Il@ is screw-threaded andy has mounted on it a nut 51, which holds the cap 115 trom sliding ed the pin, when the chimney 4d is removed.

, ln the operation of our invention, the thumb bnttom 13 is turned so es to bring ltlfl the lamp having the desired color to be displayed into the longitudinal center of the chimney 44. The member 21 will hold the lamp in this position and will supply it with current from the battery. When it is desired to display no light, the thumb button 13 is' turned so as to bring the member 2l into one of the recesses 20, which is not occupied by a contactmember 23. In this position, the battery circuit will be broken, and the members 18 and 14 and 15 will be heldfrom rotation.

By having the lamp located in alternate recesses 20, any lamp can be extinguished without lighting any other lamp.` and the lamps will be reliably held in the extinguished position by the contact member 21 being disposed in one of the intermediate e recesses 20.

By having the batteries in the base, be- 10W the shaft 12- and having the lamp displayed above the base, a maximum range of villumination is afforded, and the center 'of gravity of the lamp is lowered, thus afordingstability when the lamp is rest-- ing on its base.

We do not limit our invention to `'the structure shown and described, as i' many modifications, within the scope of the appended claims, maybe made without departing from the spirit of our invention.

What we claim is 1. In alantern of the kind described,-a rotary conducting device having peripheral sockets, an insulating member rotatable with said device and having a plurality ofv peripheral `recesses, contacts mounted respectively in alternate ones of said recesses,-

a support on'which said rotary device and insulating member are mounted, a spring circuit closing member mounted on said support and arranged to consecutively enter said recesses and to engage said contacts, and a plurality ofelectric lamps respectively mounted in Asaid sockets and -having two sets ofterminals, one set of which is in contact with said rotary device, and the other terminals of .which respectively engage said contacts, abattery carried by said support, and conducting means for connecting said battery in circuity with said rotary 2. In a lantern of the kind described, a

support, two batteries, independent of one another, carried thereby, a circuit closing member, a plurality of electric lamps having two sets of terminals, conducting means connecting said batteries, with one set of terminals, means by which the other terminals are adapted to be consecutively connected with said circuit closing member, and conducting means including a switch connected with said circuit closing member and by which the latter may be connected in circuit With either one of said batteries, substantially as set forth.

hollow base having an opening-'inthe top, a transparent globe mounted on the base and encircling said opening, a battery in said base, a manually rotated member mounted in said base with` its axis above said battery, a plurality of electric lamps carried by said rotary member and arranged when the latter is rotated, to be consecutively4 extended throughsaid opening, and means in lcircuit `With said battery by which said lamps will be consecutively connected with said battery so vas to become active as they are consecutively extended through said opening, substantially as set forth. A

4. Ina lantern of the kind described, a support, an insulating. rotary member mounted on said support,'peripheral contacts on saidrrotary member, tvv'o plates fastened together side by side, one being conductive andv both rotatable on said support with said rotary member, said plates' having on adjacent sides radial grooves cooperating to formA lamp sockets, said sockets being in radial alinement respectively and adjacent to said peripheral contacts substantially as set forth. y

l,In testimony whereofwe have signed our fnames to this specification.

FREDERICK J. Ron-E. RALPH LFRosT. JOHN- L.- LrsToN.

3. In a lantern of the kind described, a4 

